Pulse: An initial prototype towards the Interface of Energy — Part II
By Robin Schu
In the second part of our blog series on the Interface of Energy prototype, the Pulse app, we will talk about the design. We developed the app in collaboration with our partner SAP Hybris Labs as a part of the enera research project. The focus for the mobile application along the human centred design process was an outstanding usability and user experience.
We believe that the best user interfaces prioritise two aspects of their design: easy handling and creative design details. Intuitive use of a digital application is ultimately a basic prerequisite for users. That is beyond dispute. Details, on the other hand, are supposed to catch the eye — they hold the user’s attention, motivate them to interact with an application. For this reason, in addition to innovative function and novel interaction possibilities, design details are what set our Pulse app apart from the competition.
The design
Regardless of whether we are developing an app for customers, a research project or ourselves, the key focus is always the people who in the end will use the app. Hence, we always ask ourselves the following questions: How can we offer both high usability and an outstanding user experience?
When a user interacts with an app, there is always a specific goal. The less effort the user needs put out to reach this goal and the shorter the route, all the better for the user experience. The challenge for the prototypical iOS app Pulse: the information and data density is relatively high. In addition, the thematic content is new to many users and not always easy to understand. To avoid problems for the user in understanding from the outset, it is therefore important not to display all content and information at once. This would overwhelm the user or, even worse, it would scare a user off and discourage use of the app. A progressive disclosure of content or in other words a slow work-up was the guiding principle for our design team when developing Pulse. This provided the opportunity to reduce cognitive strain for the user and improve understanding of specific statements.
For this reason, Pulse minimises the potential for information overload. The content-centred experience during use concentrates on removing visual clutter. We have explicitly filtered out irrelevant information (noise) and defined relevant information (signals). Thus, we were able to develop a clear visual design language.
In its basic layout, the app features a minimalistic design. The colour scheme in monochrome, with the basic black and white enhanced with blue and green highlights. The layout is bolstered by the use of Roboto, a Google sans serif typeface family font that is easy to read on displays.
Colour is thus not used for aesthetic purposes in our concept; instead, it serves a functional purpose in the experience. We chose to use coloured elements in the user interface only to visually distinguish different notifications from each other. Users begin their Pulse experience with a monochrome view. Only once they enter what are known as “events” do the coloured elements appear in the form of notifications. Green represents power events while blue notifications indicate CPU events. Thus, the colour scheme is significantly reduced and especially prioritised. Users have a clear overview and can unmistakably distinguish between the information types.
Motion design has a primary role in the app, serving as the means for visualising the “heart beat metaphor”. In our app, the “pulse of the home” is not just apparent based on transparent data flows. The app is also designed to provide an emotional connection to the metaphor through visual effects. This approach distances us clearly from classical apps relating to personal energy management. A trend that we see again and again: visualising data in diagrams and tables — to the point of overstimulation. In our view, these representations don’t add any aesthetic charm. Instead, they just overwhelm the user. So we made it a priority to create a visual connection from different data and their sources.
In the start animation for the Pulse app, the house transforms into a curve that makes it visible in a reduced manner. The design is intended to pique the user’s curiosity to discover their home and its associated data and information flows and to learn more about it — in the figurative sense. This is also not just for one member, but for as many as possible within the home. Our objective is clear: by trivialising complex content, all residents in a household are involved in the interaction with the app.
Animations are used sparingly but with specific purpose. They are used to clarify which interactions are available to the user (animated tips), for example to highlight the spatial relationships between user interface elements (animated transitions) or to provide feedback on interactions. We deliberately avoided pretty gimmicks and remain true to our motto “less is more”.
The conclusion
For us, Pulse is successful initial prototype for the Interface of Energy. It takes the people from the enera model region on a transparent and emotional journey into the word of personal energy management; it explains topics that are at the heart of the transformation of the energy system. It offers the opportunity for autonomous action and gives users freedom in the use of the app. Moreover, we overtly based our design on the latest in UX and UI trends and offer an exciting user experience that is easy to understand and intuitive despite complex content. Over the coming months, we will continue to work out the details of the concept together with our partners. The excitement continues!
Originally published at www.interfaceofenergy.com.
